Content

This unit addresses the processes underlying the evolution and ecology of host-pathogen interactions and how these affect animal populations and communities. The unit will involve classes, supplemented by guest lecturers, seminars and small research projects. The unit starts off with addressing the fundamental question why pathogenic organisms are around and how evolutionary processes combined with design constraints in both hosts and the pathogens have shaped host-pathogen interactions in natural settings. Next we will scale up from host-pathogen interactions at the individual level to the impact of these processes at the level of animal populations, communities and ecosystems. Finally, we will identify how host-pathogen interactions (may) alter as a consequence of various global change processes (including climate change and increased human and domestic animal populations).